Citrus-Sesame Macaroni Salad

A versatile, vegan pasta dish that’s refreshing either warm or cool.

Apr 27, 2009 Elizabeth Herman

An American picnic staple revisited can be strengthening and comforting at the same time, as is this macaroni salad with an Ayurvedic twist.

In this delicious, picnic-style comfort food recipe that nourishes so healthfully, there are no animal products used, and you will find that the tahini blended with lemon adds a creamy, comforting backdrop to the crunchy asparagus and sugar snaps.

The whole grain pasta can take any shape you wish. Flat, linguine-shaped noodles, penne, twisted macaroni with grooves, or plain old elbows work just fine.

Soaked, and therefore slightly sprouted, pumpkin seeds also serve as an appetite suppressant helping you resist the urge to overeat.

Five Basic Elements:

Four plump, local organic asparagus shoots cut into 1-inch slices on the diagonal
12 sugar snap pea pods
1 T dulse, shredded fine (dulse is a mild, slightly salty sea vegetable)
8 oz. whole wheat pasta, shape of your choice
2 T raw pumpkin seeds, pre-soaked for at least 15 minutes

Citrus-Sesame Dressing/sauce:

Juice of half an orange
¼ C. toasted sesame oil
½ tsp salt
½ tsp dill seed or 1 T chopped fresh dill weed
1 tsp orange zest
2 T tahini that has been blended with enough fresh lemon juice to make a mayonnaise-like consistency

Instructions:

Start soaking the raw pumpkin seeds in a bowl of water.
Shred the dulse by hand and set aside.
Cook the whole wheat pasta in boiling water for 7 to 10 minutes, adding the sugar snap peas and asparagus two minutes before the pasta is finished cooking.
Either before you start the pasta and/or while it is cooking, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing/sauce until they are well-combined and smooth, then add salt to taste if necessary.
When the pasta and vegetables are done, drain them and sprinkle with cool water.
After draining thoroughly, return pasta and vegetables to the pan. Drain the pumpkin seeds and add them to the still-warm pan, along with the dulse and the dressing/sauce.
On the still-warm burner that has been turned off, toss the pasta, vegetables, dulse and seeds with the dressing/sauce until everything is thoroughly combined and distributed.

This dish can be served as a cold salad or while it is still warm and freshly cooked. I recommend sprinkling some cool water on the cooked pasta and vegetables before adding the dressing/sauce, then letting it warm back up in the pan before the burner on the stove cools down completely.

The Possibilities of Infinite Variations

Possible variations on this dish are endless. You can substitute a multitude of seasonal vegetables for the sugar snap peas and asparagus. For example, green beans make a good choice when they are locally fresh, which is later in the summer for the Midwestern region.

Try toasted pine nuts in place of the pumpkin seeds for more variety, or another sea vegetable in place of the dulse.

Enjoy in the outdoors with a friend, preferably sitting on the ground, if that becomes feasible!

Reference:

Morningstar, Amadea. “Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners.” Twin Lakes: Lotus, 1995.

The copyright of the article Citrus-Sesame Macaroni Salad in Vegetarian Cuisine is owned by Elizabeth Herman. Permission to republish Citrus-Sesame Macaroni Salad in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Comforting Macaroni Shape.